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May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved. Forever!

Ametur No: 336 March -April 2020

Newsletter of the Associates of the

Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart OLSH Convent, 2 Kensington Rd, Kensington, and NSW 2033.Tel: (02) 9662 1777 .Email: associates@olshaustralia.org.au

Other Chevalier Family websites:www.olshaustralia.org.au; olshaustralia.org.au/overseasaid, www.misacor.org.au

Dear Associates, Another new year! How the time flies and Lent is upon us again. I thought you might

like to reflect on this gentle poem of Hafiz (a Persian Poet 1320-1389, translation rendered

by Daniel Ladinsky), who wrote many beautiful and ecstatic love songs from God to

his beloved world. Perhaps the following might sound a chord in your heart as you

live this Lent 2020.

SO YOU CAN PLANT MORE WHEAT

I would like to remove some rocks from your field so that you can plant more wheat.

And those hills I see that are part of you, I have some trees in mind for them and flowering grasses, so that you won’t erode when the elements pour.

Are we not lovers? Cannot I speak to you like this?

Do I need to ask your permission to hitch up my ox and sing to him as I improve your vast terrain?

The title to your heart came to my office. In looking at it a great interest in your soul developed. The care of your soul became mine.

So I would like to remove some stones from your meadows; then an orchard you could grow, and the world, and the world then, will come to taste your riches.

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St Ignatius of Antioch, anticipating his death in the Colosseum, wrote to his flock

:in 107 AD:

“Ï am the wheat of God and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts,

that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”

Pope Francis has written us a Lenten Message which you can find if you google

“Pope Francis 2020 Lenten Message”. He concludes his challenge with these

words:

Dear friends, Lent is the favourable season

for renewing our encounter with Christ,

living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour.

The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the tempter

during the forty days in the desert, shows us the path we must take.

May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion,

so that we can rediscover the gift of God's word,

be purified of the sin that blinds us,

and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need.

I encourage all the faithful to express this spiritual renewal also

by sharing in the Lenten Campaigns promoted by

many Church organizations in different parts of the world,

and thus, to favour the culture of encounter in our one human family.

Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ,

we may open our doors to the weak and poor.

Then we will be able to experience and share to the full the joy of Easter.

So, there is some good advice from Pope Francis and from Hafiz.

We are called to conversion every day of our Christian lives, but Lent gives us

a special opportunity to attend to this personal work of rooting out those parts

of us that throw shadows across our sight and prevent us from responding to

the touch of God. Let us give Him free reign in the field of our soul so that we

can grow more wheat and more lovingly be His Heart in our

world.

United in the tender love of the Heart of Jesus, with Mary

Sr Ancilla White olsh

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112th Anniversary of the Death of

Mother Marie Louise Hartzer

On 22nd February we celebrated this special day

and our Provincial, Sr Philippa Murphy, wrote the

following to us:

Dear Sisters, Associates and our OLSH Partners in

Mission,

We each have our own experiences of being inspired by Marie Louise Hartzer’s

words and her life. To help us commemorate the 112th death anniversary of

Mother Marie Louise Hartzer, I have invited members of our wider ‘OLSH

Family’ to share how Marie Louise Hartzer has inspired them. I thank Srs Ruth

and Wendy, Ellenmary, Melinda and Grace, Mia and Maxine for their heartfelt

sharing.

May Marie Louise Hartzer, who led our Congregation with deep love, faith and

courage continue to inspire us. With Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, may we say ‘yes’

to the ways we are being challanged to be the ‘’Heart of God on Earth’’ in the ordinary

situations of our daily life.

Marie Louise Hartzer: Her Courage and Her Faith From Ellenmary Loman OLSH Associate For Marie Louise Hartzer, life in nineteenth century Europe was challenging. In a

letter, Marie Louise described herself as one who was dragging herself along in the

way that God had planned for her. She wished to walk with courage. Despite the

suffering and grief in her personal life, the distress of war and the discrimination of

an anti-clerical government, Marie Louise walked with courage. She followed her

calling to be on earth the Heart of God, sustained by her deep faith and trust in God

and her prayerful relationship with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Life in the twenty-first century can be challenging, and at times, overwhelming, too.

We pray that the courage and deep faith of Marie Louise Hartzer inspire us to be

courageous and faithful as we, too, desire to be on earth the Heart of God in our

time.

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Marie Louise Hartzer: Her Commitment and Faith From Sr Wendy Violet Missionary in South Sudan

Mother Marie Louise was a woman of deep faith, commitment and devotion to all

that being a Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart entailed. She showed these

attributes especially in her love and concern for all her sisters and in her attitude to

all she loved and for whom she was responsible.

I particularly love her commitment to keeping in touch with the sisters near and

those who were far on foreign missions. Offering them her motherly comfort,

advice, support and even correction when necessary. She was as a real mother!

When I read her letters today the things, she said are still relevant for me in my

living as a Daughter on mission. I’m deeply grateful to Mother Marie Louise Hartzer

for her example of how to be a true Daughter of Our Lady of Sacred Heart. May we

follow in her footsteps.

Marie Louise Hartzer: Her Humility and Compassion From Mrs Melinda Miletich staff member OLSH College Kensington

What was most inspiring about the life of Marie Louise Hartzer was the humility and

compassion with which she conducted herself. These are the very qualities that a

good leader needs today.

Throughout her life she was confronted by great tragedy and challenges. She met

every one of these challenges with a strength and determination which meant that

she was often the 'rock' upon whom everyone depended. We can see this as a young

woman caring for her sick mother and sister. We also see it in the fortitude she

showed nursing her dying husband and again as a widow when she had to flee with

her young sons, mother and sister from the German bombardment during the Franco

Prussian war. I believe it was these very qualities of compassion, humility and

fortitude, that Jules Chevalier recognised, realising that she would make an ideal

'Mother' for the fledgling DOLSH community. As he predicted, she was able to guide

them with wisdom and compassion during this foundation period of the order, which

had been a very dangerous era for the religious in France.

Like Jules Chevalier, Marie Louise Hartzer had lived her life walking humbly in the

footsteps of Jesus. It is no surprise when we look at her life that she was inspired to

lead an order which extolled the compassionate heart of Jesus.

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Marie Louise Hartzer: Her Courage, Compassion, Resilience and

Bravery From Grace Wingate, Mia Jones and Maxine Viado

(Yr 11 Students OLSH College Bentleigh)

Marie Louise Hartzer is a true inspiration to us as young women. Her leadership

embodied courage and compassion, and this inspires us to become leaders

that are not afraid to try new things and to be a person that puts others before

ourselves. Sister Marie Louise Hartzer was a resilient woman, even in the face

of hardship and trials. Her resilience can inspire us all to be persevering in all

aspects of our own lives and to be hopeful even in the face of doubt.

Her faith is also evident in her bravery in approaching challenges. As young

women of heart, her faith guides us in our efforts to spread God’s love and

remain faith-filled during the challenges in our own lives.”

Marie Louise Hartzer: Her Faith and Her Understanding

From Sr Ruth Yuburn Philippine Region

I have always been inspired by Mother Marie Louise’s faith, courage and life of

prayer, her love and gratitude to Our Lady, which made her a sincere, loving and

understanding Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Her faith, nurtured in

prayer, enabled her to be courageous even in desperate situations and to still have

confidence in the goodness and protection of God. Considering all that is going on

in our broken world, let us not loose heart but find inspiration in Mother Marie Louise

Hartzer who went through a lot in life yet remained steadfast in trusting God.

“Abandon yourself to all that the Heart of

Jesus asks of you. Allow yourself to be led

blindly by him and you will arrive safely

at the end of your journey.”

Marie Louise Hartzer

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2020:THE YEAR OF ST MATTHEW’S GOSPEL

The Second Vatican Council ordered a change in the Sunday readings at Mass

so that Catholics would become more familiar with Scripture. Now we have a

three-year cycle so that in Year A, which is 2020, we listen to the Gospel of

Matthew, Year B, 2021, it will be St Mark and Year C, 2022, will be St. Luke.

The start of a new liturgical year begins with the First Sunday in Advent which

also marks the change from one cycle to the next. This year, on every Ordinary

Sunday (and there are 33 of them), we will be hearing the Gospel of St Matthew.

One of the main reasons that Matthew wrote this gospel was to create a

community of Christians:

“… born of Judaism’s faith and history of longing and of Jesus’ humanity and

divinity in the Incarnation and Resurrection that exploded from within every

piece of revelation once given, exploding out into the world and past the

foundations of convention and of the usual interpretations. This book is called

“The Book of Mercy” because mercy is the ink, the paper, the background, the

words and the meaning, in and through and under everything. Everything that

Jesus says and does, His very presence and His coming upon earth, is

Mercy.” (Megan McKenna, Matthew, The Book of Mercy, New City Press, New York, 22002, P 13)

As we travel along our pilgrim path this year with Matthew’s Sunday’s Gospel

in Ordinary Time, may we grow in mercy, the mercy of Jesus’ Heart, so that we

will more truly be His Heart on earth. ………………………………………………….

OLSH NEWS

New Provincial and Leadership team

On Monday January 20th our Sisters gathered in the Kensington

Chapel to thank Sr Tess Ward for her loving and generous

leadership of the Province during the past three years. We then welcomed our

new Provincial, Sr Philippa Murphy and her new Leadership Team. I thank Sr

Anne Gardiner for her account of what happened on that memorable

occasion.

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“On Monday afternoon as we gathered together as OLSH Family for the “Call

to Leadership at the Service of Unity” Ceremony, I thought “Lord it is good for

us to be here”.

Standing side by side we began the Ceremony with our traditional hymn to

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Choosing this hymn to Our Lady always evokes

memories of the past. For we all realise the truth in the saying “there can be

no future without a past”.

Words from our Constitutions followed. There were three readings all

reminding us of the love of Jesus for each one.

The readings were followed by the meaningful action by Tess in anointing the

hands of Philippa as she begins her term as Provincial. We all then welcomed

Philippa as our new leader, assuring her of our love, support and prayer. As

we extended our hands in blessing over Philippa we prayed; “May the Lord

grant you the audacity of Deborah and the courage of Esther and Judith. May

God fill you with joy as God did Anna, and with loyalty and faithful love, as

God did Ruth. May you be able to sing and dance for joy near the sea as

Miriam the prophetess, and with Mary of Nazareth, proclaim the greatness of

the Lord, with the hungry and humble ones”.

Philippa then thanked Tess for her three years of service to our Province.

Candles, with the flames glowing strongly, were lit by Philippa and she handed

one to each Provincial Councillor. We recited the Memorare and then, to end

our Ceremony, the words of a “Fire on the Earth” rang out.

Sr Anne Gardiner olsh

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Provincial Council (left to right): Moya Hanlen, Pauline Richards,

Philippa Murphy (Provincial), Lorraine McCleary, Mary Stevens.

……………………………………………

GENERAL CHAPTER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF OUR LADY OF

THE SACRED HEART

Rome March 2nd – 23rd, 2020.

The Theme: “Together, being missionaries of hope in a new world

emerging …”

This theme was inspired by Father Chevalier’s words which are so full of hope:

“From the Heart of the incarnate Word, pierced on Calvary,

I see a new world emerging, the world of those he has chosen.

And this creation, so fertile, full of grandeur and inspired by love and mercy,

is the Church, the mystical body of Christ,

which makes this new creation present on earth

until the end of time.

(Jules Chevalier msc, 1900 Sacré Coeur, 145f)

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The Chapter logo also flows from these words. As missionaries of hope, we

bring that message of love from the pierced side of Jesus, not just to some but

to all – to the whole world. The red blood with a heart shape symbolizes a

message of love represented by the presence of the Holy Spirit who will bring

that love to everyone’s life as well as enkindle the world with love.

Please join us in prayer as the 32 delegates from Africa, Australia, Belgium,

Brazil, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kiribati, Netherlands, Papua New

Guinea together with the 6 members from the Generalate, pray, reflect ,

discuss and make decisions about how our Congregation may be the Heart of

Jesus in the world of our time.

Lord Jesus, may Yours be the inspiring voice behind their reflections

and the energising source of all their decisions.

Reveal to them new paths for mission

and inflame their hearts and give them new vision.

With Mary, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and St Joseph,

with Fr Jules Chevalier and Mother Marie Louise Hartzer,

we pray to You in joy and expectation

truly believing in the sublimity of our mission of making your

Sacred Heart loved everywhere and forever! Amen.

………………………………..

LAITY OF THE CHEVALIER FAMILY NEWS

Report – International Council of the

Laity of the Chevalier Family

I am very pleased to send you this report from the International Council which

summarises our work since our last report on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Please find below a list of the issues we have been working on:

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Preparation for our face-to-face meeting in Rome – 16th – 20th December

The members of the Council have worked very hard to plan and prepare for our

meeting in Rome. We will arrive on 15th December from our various countries

to begin meeting on the 16th. The first day will be spent preparing for our meeting

the next day with the General Councils of the MSC, FDNSC and MSC sisters.

At that meeting, we will each present a Report of our regions and will discuss

our Vision as a Council and the tasks we need to undertake to complete that

vision. We will also discuss how the members of the General Councils can

support us and you as they undertake their visitations. We will have a Retreat

day, facilitated by Fr Hans on our call to holiness as laity of the Chevalier Family.

The final day will be a Council meeting where we have a long list of Agenda

items including the next International Gathering, the next Newsletter, accurate

maintenance of the Data Base, our progress towards financial autonomy and

JPIC issues. We are very fortunate to have secured tickets to a Papal audience

in St Peter’s square. We will pray for you in that holy place.

Preliminary planning for the next International Gathering

We are working closely with Deborah Mellijor and her team from the Philippines

to begin to plan for the next Gathering of Laity in 2023. While we are in Rome,

we will begin to discuss matters such as the exact dates of the gathering, the

venue and the number of participants. Together with the Filipino laity we will

begin to explore suitable themes from which the programme of the meeting can

flow.

Updating and maintenance of the Data Base

As a Council, we recognise the importance of communication amongst the

whole family. We are in the process of updating the Data Base and looking for

systems so we can maintain it as an accurate means of communication. Our

hope is that those who lead in each country will also have an accurate Data

Base to send on information from the Council. We will be very grateful for your

help in this matter. We will also discuss the possibility of a Closed Facebook

page and a Website as alternate communication possibilities.

The first Newsletter – Encounter of Hearts

We spent considerable time in the months leading up to the Feast of the Sacred

Heart collecting reports and photographs from as many groups as we could.

Thank you to those who replied and to those who were not represented – we

will produce another Newsletter in the next couple of years, so watch for the

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requests that will come through for information. Our intention was to produce a

Newsletter using simple technology that everybody, especially our laity in

remote places, could access through printed form or email.

The production of the Newsletter was a collaborative process – mostly through

unpaid, voluntary contributions from many people and the Council is very

grateful to everybody who contributed to the success of the Newsletter. There

are some spare printed copies if anybody would like those and we can still email

the first edition to you if you would like a copy.

The Next Report

We will send out a detailed Report of our meeting in Rome with the Easter

communication. In the meantime, may the love in the Heart of Christ continue

to shine through each one of you.

Fr Hans, Alison, Doris and Rita.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE LAITY OF THE

CHEVALIER FAMILY

The last Ametur, No 335, Nov-Dec 2019, gave details of the

Commissioning of the members of the Australian National

Council of the Laity of the Chevalier Family at St Mary’s

Towers Douglas Park. There are 11 members on the Council

and they are joined by Fr Peter Carroll msc as the Spiritual

Companion. The members come from NSW. Queensland,

Melbourne, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Fred

Stubenrauch is the Chairman of the group and the other members are Paul

Compton, Margaret Donohoe, Tom Hodgson, Aidan Johnson, Ellenmary

Loman, Anne Marmion, Chris McDermott, Jenny Missen, Narita Perrotta,

Therese Poulton.

The Council held its inaugural meeting on September 15th after the

Commissioning Mass at Douglas Park. It was decided that the group would

have a Formation Weekend early in 2020 in order to get to know each other

better. This will be held at Kensington from Friday 13th – Sunday 15th March.

Please keep this important event in your good prayers.

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A NOBLE MAN – A MAN OF HEART

For your reflection

Here is part of a poem, which was translated from Chinese, written by Doctor Francis Yuen, a Christian, who first identified the Corona Virus (COVID-39) in Wuhan, but subsequently died of it. His pregnant wife has now contacted the virus. Doctor Yuen was badly treated for making the threat public.

“I don’t want to be a hero. I still have my parents, and my children, and my pregnant wife who is about to give birth, and many of the patients in the ward.

Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others, despite my loss and confusion, I should proceed anyway. Who let me choose this country and this family? How many grievances do I have? When this battle is over, I will look up to the sky with tears like rain.”

“I don’t want to be a hero. But as a doctor, I just cannot see this unknown virus hurting my peers and so many innocent people. Though they are dying they are always looking at me with their eyes with their hope of life.”

“Who would have ever realised that I was going to die? My soul is in heaven looking at the white bed on which lies my own body, with the same familiar face. Where are my parents? And my dear wife, the lady I once had a hard time chasing?”

“I am already gone. I see them taking my body, putting it into a bag, with many compatriots gone like me, being pushed into the fire in the hearth at dawn.”

“Goodbye, my dear ones. Farewell Wuhan, my hometown. Hopefully after the disaster you’ll remember someone who once tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible. Hopefully, after the disaster, you’ll learn what it means to be righteous. No more good people should suffer from endless fear, and helpless sadness.”

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible).

God bless. Francis Yuen There are so many modern-day saints!

……………………………………………….

STAMPS! STAMPS! STAMPS! STAMPS!

Many thanks to all those who have answered the call for stamps. We still need thousands more. It takes 12,500 stamps (more or less!) to make 2 and a half kilos. We need 10 kilos before we can go to auction. Leave them on the paper – don’t soak them off. Thank you very much.

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. MEETING REPORTS ALICE SPRINGS: On Saturday 11th October we celebrated with

a Mass the unveiling of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and

the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Memorial Window.

It was a very special occasion, marking 90 years of the OLSH and

MSC presence in Central Australia. We were delighted to have Sr

Tess Ward, Sr Margaret Reis, Sr Carmel Smith, Sr Mary Stevens and of course,

our own local Sr Kathleen Leahy, with us for the celebration. Kathleen Kemarre

Wallace, the artist, explained the meaning of the symbols used in her artwork.

Bishop Charles, Fr Chris McPhee, MSC and SVD priests concelebrated the

Mass. Sr Tess and Fr Chris addressed us sharing the history and mission of the

OLSH and MSC in “the Centre”.

The Golden Jubilee Mass of the opening of our OLSH Church took place on

October 13th and was concelebrated by Bishop Charles and the local clergy.

Representatives of families and business who had a major role in the building

of the Church were presented with copies of the new Memorial Window. As well

as our own community involvement and attendance, many past parishioners

came back to Alice Springs to share in this special time.

In November we had our usual end-of-the-year luncheon and were joined by

Fathers Alex and Gideon. Sr Kathleen gave us each an Advent booklet that she

has prepared.

On Dec 15th we farewelled Fr Raass. The Aboriginal Community took a large

part in the Mass and presented Father with a copy of the new Window. Kathleen

Wallace blessed him with the spirit of dancing – the spirit of the traditional

dancing line on which the church is built. She prayed that the spirit would be in

his heart and life as he leaves and begins his new work. Various cultures within

the Parish were involved in the Mass.

Our next meeting will be in February. Paula Thornton

BENTLEIGH: 17 Associates met at the Convent on 30th November and Sr

Elaine recounted the last couple of month’s events including the Meeting of the

laity of the Chevalier Family which gave us encouragement as Associates. We

were also reminded of our recent retreat, “Seeking and Finding God in the

Ordinary”. As Advent was about to commence, we discussed among ourselves

what Advent means to us. It enables us to take time out to look at the wonder

of God becoming human so that he can enter intimately into every aspect of our

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lives. This coming year we will be reading St Matthew’s Gospel in which we see

Jesus revealed as the fulfillment of the prophecies of old and the Messiah who

had long been awaited. We then had Adoration in the Chapel, followed by a

special afternoon tea and a sing-along led by Sr Robyn. Our next meeting is on 29th

February. Patricia Mirabile

CALLALA: Callala Associates were blessed with a Mass to end 2019. Fr

Patrick from Nowra has been a faithful friend to our group every year. He

appreciates the importance of the Associates in the Parish and has travelled

with them when they have lost their spouses. We have not been able to meet

yet in 2020 but hopefully we will get together in March to reflect on the bushfires

that were experienced in our area Sr Merrilyn Lee

CANBERRA: The Canberra Associates met at St Matthew’s Church, Page, on

2nd November. Catherine Bird led our reflection on Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 19:1-10).

Sinner or not, Zacchaeus declares a policy of generosity: half of his wealth will

go to the poor and anyone defrauded will receive compensation four-fold.

Zacchaeus’ hospitality to Jesus, while a great joy for him, soon becomes a

problem for everyone else. Catherine’s reflection points were:

1. Come to Jesus with humility.

2. The more you give the more you will receive.

3. Jesus came to call us to discipleship.

4. Jesus came to reconcile.

5. We should not judge because we only see the outside, not what is on

the inside.

6. Leave the burdens of everyday to Jesus.

7. God longs for us to let Him in.

Our very small group had a good discussion and talk about this Gospel story.

Christine Casey

CORINDA: Our tradition has been for many years to gather at Shirley’s home

for our annual Christmas Party and 2019 was no different. We thank Shirley for

all the effort of having 15 Associates present, as well as the OLSH Sisters who

joined us. A thunderstorm was close by at arrival time and a few of us became

wet, but that was a most welcome rainfall after such a dry winter and spring.

Our meeting commenced with each of us lighting a candle around the statue of

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Sr Rita spoke about Mary’s journey to Bethlehem

to give birth to Jesus, and how difficult it must have been going mostly on foot!

Sr Rita then asked us to recall any events around the birth of our own children.

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There was a sad story told and memories came flooding back. We then sang a

lovely hymn, “We’re Waiting for Jesus like Mary”.

Doreen recalled her and Aileen’s visit to Kensington Convent in Sydney during

September, at the time of the Sisters’ Provincial Chapter. They were glad to be

able to visit Sisters Eleanor and Pat at St Joseph’s while there. On the day they

joined the Sisters at the Provincial Chapter they were inspired greatly by the

testimonies of the eight lay people who spoke of what it meant to them to share

the charism of Jules Chevalier. They also spoke of a lady staying at the

Convent who shared and inspired them with her faith journey. We then shared

news about Associates who had sick family members and for whom we

continue to pray.

Sr Rita gave us each an MSC 2020 Calendar and we set our meeting dates for

next year. As our project we decided to send donations to Sr Bernadette to

give to the Overseas Aid Fund project most in need.

The meeting concluded with our favourite hymn, Woman of the Sacred Heart,

by Brother James Maher msc. We could hear the heavy raindrops outside but

that made us sing even louder! We were so grateful for the rain. Our meeting

concluded and then it was time for the Christmas feast. What a spread was laid

out! With our friendships renewed we then said goodbyes with deep gratitude

for Shirley’s hospitality. Mary McMahon

Our first meeting for 2020 was held on Sunday 2nd February. We had a great

roll-up of 12 Associates and 2 aspirants. Sr Rita Clancy welcomed us and gave

us some information about the General Chapter to be held in Rome in March.

Sr Rita give us some information about some of the delegates from the other

OLSH Provinces around the world.

After reading the Gospel for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (today’s

feast day) we considered the role of Mary in the story. In accordance with

Jewish custom, Jesus was presented by his parents, Mary and Joseph. This

was an ordinary event for people, but Simeon and Anna both recognized Jesus

as the long-awaited Messiah, and addressed Mary, His mother, in a patriarchal

society this was unusual. Did Mary carry the burden of the knowledge Her Son’s

divine nature?

November 9th: We began our meeting with a prayerful reflection, remembering

those who fought and died in war May their sacrifice never be forgotten How

did she feel about Simeon’s prophecy? We agreed that Mary gave us a great

example of trust. This led to a wonderful sharing of personal experiences of

times when we have felt the presence of God in our lives.

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In the chapel, after a period of reflection we lit candles remembering Christ

shining His light into our world, thanking the Father for the years we have lived,

and offering our unknown years to come.

We prayed for the sick, those in need of prayer and for those who have died

especially Caroline McCarthy and her husband Bill (brother-in-law of our

associate Doreen). Caroline died after a long illness and Bill died unexpectedly

late on the same day. May they now be in God’s loving embrace.

Mary McMahon

ELMORE: We gathered on January 9th and Father Caldow (PP) celebrated

Mass in the beautifully prepared OLSH Convent Chapel. (Thank you Sr Shirley

and Sr Lee). An Anointing of the Sick and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

followed. Before we prayed the Rosary, we were asked to remember all those

affected by the bush fires and all the Emergency Fire Personnel. A luncheon

followed and we enjoyed hearing about all the happenings over Christmas.

Irene Nihill

ENFIELD: As 2019 drew to a close we met in November, again enjoying Ellen

Mary’s hospitality. We looked at how Jesus might be calling us to

transformation. Sr Pat Irvin used the passage from St Luke’s Gospel where the

blind man confidently called to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me”. He

persisted against the wishes of the crowd. The blind man’s faith brought him

sight. Can we be like Jesus putting the poor first and not be swayed by the

“popular crowd”?

Sr Pat invited us to reflect on our year as Associates:

- What has being an Associate meant for us?

- What have we gained or learnt from each other?

(Personally, I would like to say that for me our meetings provide a spiritual oasis

in the busyness of daily life, a chance to catch my breath).

- Looking ahead how can we put Jules Chevalier’s charism into action?

We looked towards 2020 believing in God’s love for us all. God is love. When

we take up residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. (cf 1

John 4:16) Margaret Baker

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HARTZER PARK: We met on Sunday 16th February and began our meeting

with a reflection on “Giving and Receiving”- a prayerful looking back over the

past year and forward to the new year that has started. The words of our

Commitment Prayer were recalled and in our On-Going Formation time we

looked at Heart Spirituality and Scripture. Before the conclusion we were invited

to comment. The focus on compassion, tolerance and the “theology of

tenderness”, as spoken of by Pope Francis, were some of the points

considered. Jan Clark

NOTRE DAME (Kensington):

We began our November meeting with a prayerful reflection, remembering

those who fought and died in war: may their sacrifice never be forgotten, and

may we continue to cherish the freedom for which they fought and died. We

included in our prayer time the beautiful hymn written by Megan Donohue,

Beneath the Cross. During this time, we prayed also for the Holy Souls, and we

mentioned especially with love, those close to us who are now enjoying heaven

and being in the presence of God.

We had a very interesting sharing about Purgatory. One thought that we go

straight to heaven. Another thought it is a place where the dark corners of our

lives are illuminated by God, and another quoted from the book of Maccabees,

‘’It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead …”, meaning the dead

are in need of our prayers.

Our focus then turned to the Feast of Christ the King, celebrated on the last

Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical Year. We are followers of a crucified King.

Jesus showed compassion even when He was dying on the Cross. There is an

attraction in Jesus that only those who are open can see, to be able to recognize

that He is the way to salvation. The “Good Thief” is one of the many examples

of those who were able to recognize Jesus. We are people who are trying to

follow Jesus as our King, Saviour and Salvation.

We then shared afternoon tea with the Sisters Maureen Maher

On Saturday 14th December 33 Sydney Associates met at the Convent for the

Christmas Get-Together. After a beautiful reflection on the Christmas story we

enjoyed the company of each other and the Sisters at a festive afternoon tea.

Instead of exchanging Kris Kringle’s we had a collection for the Australian

National Council of the Chevalier Laity and were able to send off $700 to help

this new Council begin its work. Thank you to all who contributed so generously.

Maureen Maher

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Our first meeting for 2020 was on

Feb 8th, the feast of St Josephine

Bakhita – the Patron Saint of Sudan

and Trafficked People. She was

sold to brutal masters when she was

9 years old. Subsequently, after

many painful experiences, she

became a Catholic and a “free

daughter of God”. She became a

Canossian Sister and lived her

religious consecration in generous service of others, particularly the poor and

marginalized. She was canonized in 2000.

Our attention then turned to the readings for 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Judith

Carroll had prepared for us a very informative reflection on being the salt of the

earth and a light to the world. Salt was very important to the people of Jesus’

time and He used its symbolism to highlight the necessity of staying close to

Him so as not to lose our ‘flavour’ by being distracted by the lure of money,

power, status. Our focus then turned to being a “light in the world”. Disciples

who are salt and light do not draw attention to themselves but to God. We are

informed about and concerned with social structures, justice and poverty in our

society. Christ asks us to recognise and act compassionately towards those in

need who cross the paths of our ordinary lives every day. The kind word or

deed that comforts and encourages can be a lifesaver for someone in pain. We

pray for the grace to overcome our difficulties in being salt and light in our

broken world.

We then shared afternoon tea with the Sisters. Maureen Maher

…………………………………….

ASSOCIATES’ ANNUAL RETREAT

This will be held at Hartzer Park from the evening of

the 16th October until Sunday 18th October. Sr Dain

has kindly agreed to be the presenter.

Please put the dates into your diary. More details will

be available as the yea

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For Our Beloved Deceased Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sr Emmanuel Chapman (St Joseph’s),

Sr Catherine Mulcahy and Sr M Chanel Harte (Ireland),

Sr Maria Magdalena de Carvalho (Brazil)

Sr M Elena della Vecchia (Rome)

Sr M Alies de Veen (Holland)

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Father Paul Stenhouse (Kensington)

OLSH Associates Yvonne Dunn (Burrowa), Agnes Nganbe (Port Keats), Moira Levy (Mascot), Patricia

Woodruff (Canberra), Esme Elefante (Lakemba), Joan Yates (Bentleigh), Mary Caruana

(Jamistown).

Loved Ones Betty Hammond, Margaret Stevens, Kim Foo Seeto, Eileen Burwood, Sr Joan Bird FMM, Jenny Braun, Peter Flanagan, John Schmidt, Caroline McCarthy, William McCarthy, Andy McCarthy, Lynette Bradley, Battina Doll, Jim Briggs, Nancy O’Neil, Neil Stafford, John McNamara, Carmel See, Joan Lynch, Elizabeth Clarke, Dr J Roche, Jim Brown, Kath O’Çonnor.

For Those in Need of Our Prayers Celine Doherty, John Harmon, Kaylah Ireland, Murphy Family, Lyn Hodder, Pat Thomas, Margaret & John Toye, Kim Hancock, Audrey, Dolores, Tim Gleeson, Stephen Craddock, Ray O’Neil, Jenny Bentancort, Margaret Keen, Lesley Cheeseman, Grace Corbit, Hazel Bailey, Danielle, Paul and Matthew Casey, Clare Hickey, Monica Morrison, Josie Gibson, Teresa Pitman, Maureen McNamara, Ray Menso, Dorothy Dobie, Flo Seddon, Bill Comer, Terry O’Brien, Sr Theresa Coleman, Sr Helen Warman, Kerry Hart, Beverley Reardon. Roche Family, Brown Family. For more rain for those areas still in drought. For all trying to rebuild their lives, properties, businesses etc. after the natural disasters of the past months.

THANKSGIVING • For our new Provincial, Sr Philippa Murphy, and the new Leadership Team.

• For St Theresa Coleman and Sr Josette Lee celebrating 70 years of

Profession as Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

• For life-giving rain.

• For the bravery, courage and dedication of all in our recent natural disasters.

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THE INTERNET REVOLUTION!!!

And the Ametur.

This request is only for those who wish, but as some of you have

requested that the Ametur be sent by email, I wondered if anyone else

might like to receive it that way.

If you would then please fill out the form below and send it back to me,

by snail mail or email. If you attend a group meeting then you would

need to print the Ametur off for your meetings, or get someone else to

do it for you on their printer.

Please let me stress that this is YOUR choice and we are happy to

continue sending the Ametur as usual by snail mail if that is what is best

for you.

……………………………………………………………………………………

….

I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE AMETUR BY EMAIL.

Name:…………………………………………………………………………

Address:……………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………..

Email Address: ………………………………………………………………